The television cameraman, 36, has spent £33,000 on flights, hotels, and entry to 251 parks.

He has braved the longest, fastest and highest rides ever made during his 46 trips to 19 countries, including the 456ft-tall Kingda Ka in New Jersey, USA, and the 8,133ft-long Steel Dragon 2000 in Nagashima, Japan.

“Nothing gives me as much thrill as a rollercoaster. I used to get scared just looking at the height, twists, and turns of some rides, but none of them daunt me any more”

Marcus

Laid end-to-end, the tracks of the coasters he has ridden over the past decade would stretch from London to Barcelona.

Marcus said: “Nothing gives me as much of a thrill as a rollercoaster.

“I used to get scared just looking at the height, twists, and turns of some rides, but none of them daunt me any more.

“In fact, I’m more nervous about theme park ghost trains.” Often he rides each coaster a number of times in a bid to find the best seat. “I like to find a seat where you get lots of negative G, the feeling of weightlessness and your stomach turning,” said Marcus, of Southampton.

Gaines has travelled the world to ride a staggering 1,099 rollercoasters

He first rode a coaster aged five during a family visit to Clarence Pier in Southsea, Hants.

His most recent trip was to China when he managed to conquer 70 coasters in 26 parks over three weeks.

He said: “The Japanese and Chinese keep their heads down, terrified of what’s to come, whereas the Germans go wild and shout and scream. In Spain, queue-jumping is rife.”

Marcus says he does not scream on rides, preferring to “whoop” and punch the air.

His partner Susie Clarke, 34, “tolerates” his hobby and their son Thomas, two, has already notched up three rollercoaster rides.